POP Meets | RLH PRINTS

posted by Si Cunningham September 8, 2020

Our new series meets the people behind some of the industry’s most inspiring work. This week, London-based printmaker Rachael Hibbs talks us through taking inspiration from Instagram, and her love of beautiful botanical things.

I was always creative growing up.
My family are very arty and my Auntie is also a printmaker, so I’ve always been immersed in the world of art. I studied Fine Art at university and specialised in sculpture and installation. It wasn’t until I got my first job as an art technician that I started experimenting with print. I’ve been developing my printmaking practice for about five years now.

I owe a lot of my success to social media.
If it wasn’t for promoting my work through Instagram, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I think the moment I felt like a true professional printmaker was when I was approached by Pressing Matters magazine to do a feature on me as an artist and my workspace. After that, I felt like this wasn’t just a hobby anymore for me, and I wanted to make this my career. I also work at a college running printmaking workshops – which blends in perfectly with my business.

I still feel like I’m figuring out my style.
As artists, our body of work is always evolving and changing. My current work is quirky and macabre meets Victorian botanical art. I have always been inspired by natural specimens. Before lockdown, I’d often go to the natural history museum or Kew gardens to study flora and fauna for my work. I’m so inspired by the work of Katie Scott, who illustrates the most beautiful nature books.

I like to think that people who buy my artwork have an appreciation of the weird and wonderful.
My work is about bringing the outside in and giving beauty to the more unconventional parts of nature. Despite the multiple hurdles I’ve had to overcome during this pandemic, my online shop has actually been doing really well. I think the challenge will be keeping up that high standard now that I’m going back to work. I’m really excited to be going more part time, so that I can concentrate more on my business.

I love that London is a mashup of rural and urban life.
Even though I now live in London, I grew up in rural Oxfordshire and I think that really influenced my love of nature. One of my prints – “forest floor” – was inspired by these two fox cubs that I would often watch out of my flat window in London. They were so at home in an environment that they wouldn’t naturally belong.

Collaborating with other artists or companies opens up so many possibilities.
I think my favourite ongoing collaboration must be with Speedball Art. I‘m part of their professional artist network and earlier in the year was involved in running printmaking workshops at creative world in Frankfurt. It was a lot of fun and I met so many other amazing artists. Other than that I have done multiple print exchanges with fantastic artists who are now part of this amazing community through Instagram.

I’m really excited that galleries are starting to open up again.
There’s been some amazing artwork made by talented people online but it doesn’t compare to seeing it in person. I’m looking forward to getting some more inspiration for my own practice.

Never try to make a copy of an artist’s work you admire.
People would always rather buy the original. Experiment and find what is right for you, and don’t be fooled into thinking you need the most expensive equipment to create beautiful art. The best art comes from having certain constraints.